In the plant nursery business root balls of trees and shrubs are generally wrapped for shipping in sheet material such as burlap which is laced about with rope or cord. If the plants are dug by a machine, the root balls are of the same size. However, when plants are dug by hand as is common practice, the root balls vary in size so that a three dimensional container is probably not able to snuggly receive the hand dug plants.
Wire baskets constructed of a single continuous wire strand are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,260. These wire baskets are three dimensional having a tubular cage with helical coils wrapped thereabout. Such baskets are difficult to ship and are generally not adaptable to root balls which vary somewhat in size as do hand dug root balls. The baskets are of a relatively complicated construction requiring the expenditure of considerable material and labor.
The use of a flat generally star-shaped basket is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,675 wherein wire loops are spaced about and connected to central wire support constructed from a separate wire strand. Such a construction is again relatively expensive.
A wire basket is currently marketed which employs elongated wire loops each constructed of a separate wire which is butt welded. The individual loops are then stacked forming a point at each end and welded at overlying central junctures to form a central support from which the points formed by the free ends of the loops are carried. Such baskets have the disadvantage of being costly to manufacture, and the butt welds often fail so that the loops come undone.
An important object of this invention is the provision of a wire container for a root ball of a plant of simplified construction employing a single continuous wire strand resulting in a generally star-shaped basket which is flat for convenient use and shipment.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a wire support basket capable of snuggly containing various sizes of root balls especially such as occurs with hand dug plants where root ball sizes may not be readily controlled.
Another important object of the invention is the provision of a method of manufacturing a wire container for the root ball of a plant wherein a continuous wire strand is fed to a loop forming apparatus where overlapping central portions are joined by welding to join a central support for the points of the basket.
Another important object of the invention is the provision of apparatus for forming a star-shaped container for a root ball wherein an odd number of loops are formed by alternately skipping alternate loop forming support pins carried upon a planar support preparatory to welding overlapping junctures of the loop to form a central support.
The baskets thus formed are utilized together with the usual burlap sheet to form a root ball by turning up and joining the free ends of the star by the use of a tie to snuggly position the basket upon the root ball.